1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to an improved method of and system for automatically identifying and verifying television and radio program segments, including commercial messages, using identification codes. More particularly, the present invention relates to such an improved method and system which do not degrade program quality, are not perceptible to a listener or viewer and are very reliable.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Over the years two general techniques have been developed in program identification systems; these are identification encoding and pattern recognition, but these techniques as thus far developed have been found to be substantially limited and have not been entirely satisfactory.
Program identification coding methods have been divided into two general areas, audio and video ending. Audio encoding (e.g. U.S. Pat No. 3,845,391 to Crosby) has proven to be unsatisfactory for television broadcasting. In the final report of the Ad Hoc Committee On Television broadcast Ancillary Signals Of The Joint Committee On Intersociety Coordination (published May, 1978), the Journal Of The Society Of Motion Picture and Television Engineers found the aforementioned audio program identification to be extremely unreliable and caused significant degradation of program signal quality.
Video encoding has also proved to be less than satisfactory for television broadcasting. In U.S. Pat No. 4,025,851 to Haselwood et al. for network clearance monitoring, a 48 character digital code is placed onto the vertical blanking interval of line 20. While the use of line 20 reduced the degradation of the program signal quality, the encoding system used therein is overly complex and inadequate. This system utilizes a changed line format for the handling of the data, which requires complex data processing, encoding, storage and verification. In addition, the system is only able to monitor the broadcast of a single network with an inability to scan more than one channel. Moreover, only a method and system for the identification of the program is disclosed with there being no teaching as to the integration and recording of information as to the program's audio and visual quality.
A process for automatic electronic recognition and identification of programs and commercial advertisements broadcast on television and radio has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,919,479 to Moon et al., wherein a digitally sampled reference signal segment derived from either the audio or video portion of the original program content to be identified is compared with successive digitally sampled segments of the corresponding audio or video portion of a broadcast signal in a correlation process to produce a correlation function signal. The sampling rates and the time duration of the reference signal segment and the broadcast signal segments are the same. When the signal segments which are compared are the same, the correlation function signal is relatively large and a recognition thereof is achieved when such correlation function signal exceeds a selected threshold level. The compared signal segments may also be obtained as low frequency signals derived from the original reference and broadcast signals by non-linear and envelope formation processing techniques. This example of computerized pattern recognition is very complex and related solely to program content.
None of the above-noted prior attempts to verify the broadcasting of commercial messages have met with wide acceptance, because each requires either changes in operating procedures, purchase of external hardware, or some amount of manual reconciliation.
Radio and television stations earn the bulk of their revenue by broadcasting commercial messages. Some of these messages are for local advertisers, while a variable percentage is derived from so-called national advertisers. It is customary for these national advertisers to employ advertising agencies to create the actual commercials to be aired; these agencies then proceed to buy air time in the desired radio/television markets. Due to the sheer numbers of markets and broadcast outlets (air time is generally purchased on more than one station within a market, and many markets can be specified), the agencies usually make use of firms which represent the individual stations. If a radio or television network is included, the network is contacted, and time is purchased. Thus, a commercial can reach an individual station by one of two routes, via a wired network (such as ABC, NBC or CBS), or through an "un-wired" network, such as one of the national station-representing firms. In both circumstances, it is necessary that the network and the agency have some means of verifying that the commercial(s) were broadcast as specified.
At present, these verifications (affidavits of performance) are generally generated manually, by each radio and television station. The originating network must then collect and reconcile each of these affidavits, also manually. This process is very lengthy and prone to error. Only after the affidavits are reconciled can payment to the networks and stations be made. The average lead time for payment to a local television or radio station, broadcasting a nationally-originated commercial, is four-to-six months. Most of this delay is directly attributable to the manual processing involved, and virtually all station and network personnel, for a variety of reasons, are desirous of a faster, more reliable, automated means of verifying broadcasts.